KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has observed that the state of affairs of cooperative societies in the province is appalling and alarming as one after another such organisations are being “recklessly superseded by personal favourites” being appointed as administrators having no qualifications to manage them.

The SHC restrained the secretary of the Sindh cooperative department and registrar of cooperative societies from appointing any private individual or any person “who lacks appropriate qualifications or expertise” as administrator/ incharge of any housing society.

A two-judge bench, comprising Justice Zafar Ahmed Rajput and Justice Sana Akram Minhas, also directed them to file details about the total number of cooperative societies set up across Sindh, societies administration superseded, criteria/ selection process used for appointing administrators/ in charges and financial audit reports carried out during the tenures of the administrators of the superseded societies within 15 days.

It further sought a comprehensive report regarding assets of each superseded society, record of transactions or transfers of property during superseded period and postponement of elections of such societies as well as details of cases pending in courts.

Bench irked by appointment of ‘personal favourites’ in place of elected bodies of housing schemes

The bench passed these directives while hearing a petition along with an intra-court appeal about the Telephone Employees Cooperative Housing Society.

It noted that the society in question was superseded in 2020 and since then at least four administrators/ in-charges had been appointed one after another.

The court also observed that the last administrator, Shahnawaz Lashari, appeared in court and admitted that he was a private individual, did his intermediate from a high school in Larkana and had no knowledge or experience of cooperative societies matters.

The court order stated that he was unable to even read the notification about his appointment as the administrator.

The bench also said that it was not the first instance as various other identical issues came before the SHC where unqualified persons were appointed as administrators of the superseded societies after the last-minute postponements of elections of such entities.

“The state of affairs in the province of Sindh with regard to cooperative housing societies are both appalling and alarming. Society after society has been hungrily and recklessly superseded, with personal favorites being appointed as administrators/incharge over them, who, except for being obedient and subservient to their appointing authority, have absolutely no other qualifications or expertise to manage the complex affairs of such entities. The appointment of private individuals with little or no education as administrators/ incharge is astonishing,” it added.

“That open and utter disdain for the rights of cooperative society members, whose life savings were tied up in those societies, demonstrated a non-seriousness and complete lack of respect for both institutions and the rule of law,” it also stated.

The bench in its order also said: “The apparent contempt for basic considerations such as education, competence and integrity in these appointments leaves this court deeply concerned and profoundly troubled.”

Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2024